Kirsten John-Stucke

Mythos Wewelsburg Kirsten John-Stucke

Since the end of the war, conspiracy theories and transfiguring legends have grown up around the Wewelsburg near Paderborn. This book explains the background, content and dissemination of the Wewelsburg myth. In the Third Reich, the Westphalian castle was to become a central meeting place for senior SS leaders. Rumours about occult rites of the SS at this site have made Germany's unique triangular castle a place of pilgrimage for the right-wing scene in recent decades. Esotericists see the site as a special place of power. The Black Sun, derived from a sun wheel ornament in the north tower, has become a globally popular symbol of salvation and recognition for right-wing extremists. In the myth surrounding the miracle technology of the Reichsflugscheiben, in neo-paganism, in the black metal scene and even in superhero comics, the Wewelsburg and the Black Sun have become components of a questionable branch of popular culture. This lavishly illustrated volume is the first to comprehensively reconstruct the history of the origins, varieties and effects of the web of myths surrounding the Wewelsburg, which has developed in parallel with the construction of the memorial and memorial site for the victims of SS crimes that is now located there.